Are Homeschoolers Socially Awkward?
When we talk about schooling and education, the usual concept that comes to mind is the traditional setting where children learn inside the four walls of the classroom. It is interesting enough that a good percentage of parents opt to homeschool their children versus sending them to regular schools.
Homeschooling has gradually become popular because of its unique offering. In essence, homeschooling allows the parents to be completely in control of their children’s learning progress.
This is where children learn through the help of the parent-teacher and lessons and activities alike are planned according to the interest of the individual child. To quote Ken Robinson, the main goal of homeschooling children is to “build achievement where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.”
The parent-teacher actually gets to decide what is to be taught to his or her child. In essence, there is more freedom on the part of the learner because standardized testing is not required all the time–giving the parent-teacher complete control of what happens in the learning process.
Why Is There So Much Talk About Homeschooling?
Homeschooling has attracted a number of following over the years. Come to think of it, it is such a tedious process. So what’s in it to homeschool a child? The decision to homeschool children varies from family to family. Back in the days, it is common to see well off families who assign tutors to their children. Fast forward to the present, we still see the same scenario only with a little twist.
It is not only the families who have better financial standing who are opting to homeschool or tutor children, even average families do so too now. It is safe to say that parents are not attracted to the thought of personalizing learning content for their children for the benefit of positioning them to be ahead of the rest, but rather, it is because of the sense of freedom and control that homeschooling offers.
But let us go back to the question, “Why homeschool?” As ideal and promising as this learning set up sounds, it is important to note things that we should know about this learning trend. For starters, deciding to do homeschooling is a major decision that could affect day-to-day life. The infamous assumption that homeschoolers are socially awkward does not seem to die down. Let us breeze through the following pros and cons of homeschooling and see if being socially awkward comes as an inevitable takeaway to homeschooling.
Before Deciding to Homeschool
Upon deciding to do homeschooling, a parent must be fully engaged and hands-on. This setup requires a different level of commitment from both parents. It could potentially affect how finances will be in the household. For a parent to be fully committed, he or she must give up working or choose a home-based job. This basically affects household income. Books, software, learning packets, and other things needed for homeschooling are also costly. Ultimately, homeschooled children have lesser chances of interaction with peers their age.
This is where the argument of homeschooled kids being socially awkward stems from. With lesser time to bond and work with other children, their socialization skills are put to the test. But it is crucial to determine what “awkward” really means.
Are homeschooled children awkward? The answer is No!
For some parents of homeschoolers, they argue that homeschooling does not impair their children’s socialization skills. If anything, it actually helps their children to gain confidence and a set of values that help them succeed in life. Here are some reasons why.
5 Ways Homeschooling Can Foster Emotionally and Physical Stability
The concept of having an open schedule or learning structure gives way for children to identify what their strengths, interests, and abilities are. They are given an opportunity to excel and focus on something that sparks curiosity and learning. The personalized lessons and pacing empower the child to progress dramatically. We know what happens when we take care of potential–they grow into something bigger.
The flexible schedule allows more time to bond with the family. The travels and activities a family makes help the children understand other people’s cultures. They are given a different perspective of the outside world. This gives them a sense of respect and tolerance. Some parents of homeschoolers claim that their children have no problem connecting with other children because they do not have concepts of discrimination, and they are naturally open. A child who grew up in a caring and nurturing environment takes with her the love and confidence the family members give.
While social problems happen on a case to case basis, homeschoolers get a chance to develop and mature into confident individuals with the guidance of their parents. In a regular school, if a child is different, he or she is prone to being judged. This is a good angle to look at in terms of bullying, peer pressure, and attitude problems regular students face being in a traditional school. Homeschoolers are spared from these complex situations and so they react appropriately to situations they were put in. They become well-rounded individuals.
With technology and social media, parent-teachers now join online groups with other homeschoolers and parent-teachers. Surprisingly, according to statistics, homeschoolers have more activities planned out for them than regular school children their age. Be it dinners, barbecue parties, travels abroad, or to the local museum or zoos, sports events, or even simple get-togethers, homeschoolers get to interact with other children and adults. They in turn become street smart as they get to go out to the real world, interact with people, go to places, and learn freely about life. Their daily routine may be confined inside the house, but the conversations they could have with other people would not only come from the same structure for they have a wide array of sources of knowledge.
The most important aspect of homeschooling is the sense of independence, confidence, and pride a child learns in the process. They develop diligence, creativity, and critical thinking due to their own effort. When they’re given full support and conducive learning space, these children thrive because they are not constrained by the bubble regular schooling dictates and requires of them.
Are homeschoolers really awkward?
With the fair share of pros and cons, are homeschoolers really awkward? The answer remains the same. Awkwardness is not a result of the choice of learning method. Homeschooling is a challenge but it promotes the child’s development to achieve his or her full academic, emotional, and social potential. Sending kids to a regular school does not guarantee social and emotional growth either. Being labeled as awkward depends on what society tags as awkward. Children are naturally social and there should be no comparison between homeschoolers and regular students.
The parents’ choice of how their children learn is not a basis for social intelligence. There are socially awkward children everywhere and this stigma should not just be attached to homeschoolers. However, it is safe to say that when properly administered, homeschooling helps children understand exactly what they want and the freedom from structures equip them with a healthy, aggressive, and open attitude about life. Having a sense of identity and success helps homeschoolers not become socially awkward but instead, they become more open, tolerant, and outgoing because of the way they have learned about the world around them.
Are Homeschoolers Socially Awkward?
No, Awkwardness is not a result of homeschooling, traditional public school, or learning method. While, homeschooling is a challenge; provided the right academic, emotional, physical, and social support children can be more confident and socially comfortable than their public school counterparts.